City businessman Godfrey Scipio called ‘Saga’ was on Friday night robbed of jewellery and an undisclosed amount of cash by four gunmen who later engaged police in a shoot-out at Cummings Lodge. The police arrested the driver of their vehicle, in which weapons and ammunition were found.
Police in a press release yesterday said that at about 2130 hours they responded to an armed robbery in D’Urban Street, Georgetown, during which a man was arrested, a motor vehicle detained, and two firearms along with ammunition and spent shells recovered.
Investigations revealed that the 58-year-old businessman of D’Urban Street, Georgetown, had just parked his motor vehicle in front of his residence when four men drove up alongside in a white Toyota Raum motor car PMM 6292. One of the men, all of whom were armed with handguns, discharged a round in Scipio’s direction after which they took away his personal jewellery and an undisclosed amount of cash and escaped in their vehicle. During the robbery Scipio was beaten about the body with the firearms by the men and had to be taken to the Georgetown Hospital for treatment. Stabroek News yesterday learnt that the man has since been admitted to a private hospital.
Scipio did not fall and hit his head after hearing gunshots as Stabroek News had reported in yesterday’s edition.
According to the police press release, anti-crime patrols were alerted about the incident via the radio network and ranks of one of the patrols “subsequently intercepted the getaway vehicle on the Cummings Lodge Public Road, ECD. On seeing the police, the armed men opened fire on the police who were in pursuit and one of the bullets passed through the front windscreen of the police patrol’s vehicle and lodged in the back seat.”
The police returned fire and the perpetrators subsequently stopped their vehicle in the vicinity of the Cummings Lodge Cemetery Bridge where three of the men exited and escaped, leaving the driver in the vehicle.
The driver, the release said, was arrested and the vehicle searched during which a 9mm. pistol with 15 matching rounds, a Ruger 40 automatic pistol and 40 spent shells, and a sum of cash were recovered. The motor vehicle has also been detained by the police.
Around 0230 hours yesterday ranks of another anti-crime patrol returned to the scene and recovered a magazine with four 9mm. rounds along the Cummings Lodge Access Road.
Investigations are continuing.
When Stabroek News arrived at D’Urban Street shortly after the gunmen struck the details of what had transpired were very sketchy. The initial information was that a vehicle drove by a bar located a short distance from Bettencourt Diner and fired several shots in the general direction of the building.
